6 Best Cable Crunch Exercise Alternatives to Try

There are several great cable crunch exercise alternatives that will provide you with a multitude of benefits while working on similar muscle groups.

Cable crunch exercises can be considered an efficient core exercise that effectively engages all your core muscles. That is why it is quite popular among athletes, bodybuilders, and professional gym-goers. However, if you are not able to do this exercise, there are several cable crunch exercise alternatives that are worth trying.

Here, we have curated a list of the best cable crunch exercise alternatives that you should definitely incorporate into your workout routine.

Hanging exercise. (Image via Unsplash/Victor Freitas)

Best Cable Crunch Exercise Alternatives for Workout

1. Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises are among the advanced cable crunch exercise alternatives which will strengthen your arms along with building a strong core. It will also enable you to get bigger arms.

Here's how to do hanging leg raises:

Grasp onto the pull-up bar with both your palms while keeping your back flat and core muscles engaged.
With straight knees, raise both your legs to the hip height and angled parallel to the ground.
Hold before slowly lowering to the ground in a vertical hanging position. Repeat.

2. Reverse Crunches

Reverse crunches belong to a group of easy cable crunch exercise alternatives that effectively engage your rectus abdominis along with burning fat in the belly region.

Here's how to do reverse crunches:

Start this exercise by laying down on the ground in a face-up manner with your hands positioned on the respective sides.
Position your knees bent at an angle of ninety degrees and both your calves parallel to the ground.
Drive your knees backward and closer to your chest by raising your hips and lower back off the ground.
In a controlled manner, return your body back to the initial position and repeat.

3. Abs Rollout

Abs rollouts are also among the most efficient cable crunch exercise alternatives that will help you get six-pack abs while increasing the stability and balance of your upper body.

Here's how to do an abs rollout:

Position the abs wheeler on the ground and assume the high kneeling position of your body with your knees on the ground.
While maintaining a straight posture of your body, slowly roll the wheel to the front with both your palms.
Bring it back to the starting position and repeat.

Abs rollout (Image via Unsplash/Jonathan Borba)

4. Toe Touches

Toes touches are also great cable crunch exercise alternatives that will tone your leg muscles along with getting rid of fat in your belly region and increasing stability in your body.

Here's how to do toe touches:

Start this exercise by laying down on the ground with your legs raised in a vertical manner at the hip height as the soles of your feet are angled to the ceiling.
Raise your arms straight in a vertical manner.
Next, raise your torso off the ground to bring your hands as close to your feet as you can.
Lower your upper back to the floor and repeat.

5. Jack Knife Pullover

Jack knife pullovers are versatile cable crunch exercise alternatives that will help you get shredded core along with increasing core strength.

Here's how to do a jack knife pullover:

Start this exercise in a laying down manner on the ground with your face up and hands positioned on the respective sides of the body with slightly bent knees.
Your lower back should remain pressed onto the ground throughout the movement.
Elevate your legs and arms simultaneously along with raising your upper back off the ground to crunch your abdominals.
Bring your body back to the initial position and repeat.

6. Decline Bench Sit Ups

Decline bench sit-ups tend to be popular cable crunch exercise alternatives that will work on similar muscles to strengthen your core muscles as well as tone your abdominal area.

Here's how to do decline bench sit ups:

Begin by assuming your position on the declined exercise bench with your core muscles engaged.
Lightly position your fingertips at your temples before slowly raising your torso off the bench and crunching your abdominals.
Slowly, return your torso back to the bench and repeat.

Decline bench sit-ups. (Image via Unsplash/Gabin Vallet)

Bottom Line

The aforementioned article discusses some of the best cable crunch exercise alternatives that should be inculcated into the workout routine for greater strength and fitness.

Common benefits from the above exercises include building core strength, improving core stability, getting visibly toned abdominals, and more.

Additionally, to achieve progressive overload from the above listed cable crunch exercise alternatives, you can add weight to your movements along with increasing the number of reps and sets that are performed for the exercise.